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Validation of a Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR)‐based Method for Detecting Lymph Node Metastasis by Melanoma Cells
Author(s) -
Goodloe Travis Bedsole,
Hargadon Kristian M
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.696.1
Subject(s) - melanoma , lymph , metastasis , medicine , lymph node , cancer research , primary tumor , cancer , pathology , oncology
Melanoma, a cancer of pigment‐producing melanocytes in the skin, is a highly lethal type of cancer because of its propensity to metastasize to several vital organs, including the lungs, brain, bone, and kidneys. Melanoma has also been shown to metastasize to tumor‐draining lymph nodes, and such lymph node metastasis correlates with dysfunctional anti‐tumor immunity and poor patient prognosis. In order to better understand 1) how melanomas spread to regional lymph nodes and 2) how lymph node involvement by melanomas contributes to immune suppression and disease progression, a model system for detecting melanoma cell invasion of local lymph nodes is sorely needed. Therefore, the goal of this study was to develop a quantitative Reverse Transcription‐Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT‐PCR)‐based approach to assess melanoma metastasis to tumor‐draining lymph nodes by measuring in lymph node cell populations expression of the tyrosinase‐related protein‐2 (Trp2) gene that is involved in the melanin biosynthesis pathway. We demonstrate in both a primary tumor and lung metastasis model of murine melanoma that this approach is a highly sensitive system for the detection of melanoma cells in tumor‐draining lymph nodes. Support or Funding Information Commonwealth Health Research Board Virginia Academy of Science Jeffress Memorial Fellowship Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges Mednick Memorial Fellowship Hampden‐Sydney College Student‐Faculty Research Fund Sigma Xi Grants‐In‐Aid of Research Hampden‐Sydney College Faculty‐Student Research Fund Hampden‐Sydney College Department of Biology